The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-05-03
WHISPERING ACROSS THE SEA.
Already One May Talk a Thousand Miles
n Telephone

New star
There seems to be no limit to- the pos
sibilities of science and its application to
the affairs OF the commercial world.
One of the great needs of the day Is
rapid, accurate and often secret COM
munication between commercial CEN
tiers. Experiments in long distance tele-
phOning by the Bell company, over the
experimental line established in 1884 be-
tween New York and Boston, have dem
onstrated the utility of that method In
vestigations were made in many direc-
tons. and as "A result of the labOrs of
Edison, Gilliland, Blake, Hughes, Hun
ming and other electricians, the long dis
lance transmitter was perfected
The old wires We're found To be une-
quail to the requirements of long-tlistance
work: and after repeated trials by lead
ing manufacturers a hard-drawn copper
wire of great tensile strength and con-
ductivity was produced. This wire has
proved To be- the lest as Vet manufac-
tured for electrical purposes. Through the
Use of this wire and the improved trans
mitter. the possibility of a perfect long
distance service was established. But
the requirements are said to have been
the most exacting. Cables of great size
and high insulation Were demanded. and
the most careful attention required in all
the details of construction.
Besides the Bell line to Boston another
system has just been constructed be-
tween this city and Philadelphia This
last line is owned and operated by the
American Telephone and Telegraph Com
pany. IL is said to have cost $3.50, 900 to
establish communication between New
York and the Quaker City. and twenty
five wires are already in use. The wires
are extra heavy. and forty-tive poles are
used To the mile, being eleven more than
used over any other system. The old
style of grounded wires has been re-
placed by the complete circuit That is,
instead of using one wire grounded at
each end of the line, two wires CON
nected at each end form Il complete cir
cult of the electric current between ter
minal points. BY this method cross
talk. the induction between al jacent
| wires, and the kissing sound peculiar To
grounded wires are avoided.
Communication is already possible he
tween Philadelphia and Boston, and
every word in conversation over the wire
can be distinctly heard. The American
| company is now engaged in extending
| its lines to New Haven, Boston, PrOvi-
| dence and other eastern cities. The
| maximum cost of a message between
| New York and Philadelphia is 81, and
| wires are rented of the company by
brokers at $500 a month.
| \ reporter of the Star called at the
| office of the American company at No.
! Is COrtlandt street yesterday. The Off
| GERS kindly allowed him to experiment
over the new line. Mr.. Hibbard. the
manager. called up Joe" at Philadel-
phia and surrendered the phone" to the
reporter. BY an ingenious cOntrivance
| resembling the arm of a small suction
pump attached to- the desks the officers
of the company are enabled to talk over
the wires without leaving their official
stations. This continuance is of nickel
plated metal. hollow. with the trumpet
or mouthpiece resembling that attached
to ordinary speaking tubes. only larger.
Joe" was asked the state of the
weather in the Quaker town, and pro-
nounced it fair.
What company Is playing at the
Chestnut Street Theatre 2"
The Golden Giant combination,
was the response. The reporter was
asked if he could accept a compliment
tary to that theatre, but not feeling
equal To the wear and tear likely to en-
sue from a trip by telephone he was
| forced to decline.
| Mr.. Hibbard informed the Sfdr repre-
sentative that the company expected to
prove the possibility of carrying on CON
versatiOn by telephone over a distance OF
| n thousand miles. and arrangements
| looking to that end are now being made
He did not believe it would be impossible
to talk across the Atlantic ocean, but
said that telephone communication
might only be established between the
two hemispheres at such a tremendous
ontlay as to render it impracticable by
reason of its cost.